Finger grip for a heating element of a vaporizer



Feb. 4, 1969 3,426,141

7 FINGER GRIP FOR A HEATING ELEMENT OF A VAPORIZER I A. o. STORCH Filed July 15. 1966 FIG 2 INVENTOR. ADOLPH STORCH ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,426,141 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A finger grip for an electrically operated vaporizer heating element formed from a unitary molded non-conductive material and adapted to be fixed to said heating element by the means utilized to fixedly mount a closure within the opening formed in the cover portion of said heating element for the passage of an electric wiring cable therethrough.

This invention relates to a finger grip for an electrically operated heating element for a vaporizer which allows the hot heating element to be lifted by a finger without the finger contacting the hot heating element. More particularly this invention relates to a finger grip for an electrically operated heating element for a vaporizer which can be secured to the element in a fixed position by existing means provided by the heating element.

It is an object of this invention to provide a finger grip of simple and economic construction for an electrically operated heating element for a vaporizer which allows the hot heating element to be lifted by a finger without the finger contacting the hot heating element.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a finger grip of simple and economic construction for an electrically operated heating elements of a vaporizer which can be secured to the element in a fixed position by use of the existing means provided by the element without the need for extraneous connecting means.

The finger grip of this invention has application to any conventional electrically operated heating element of a vaporizer which includes a cover portion with an opening on its peripheral surface through which an electric wiring "cable passes, a closure cap which is fixedly mounted and recessed within this opening so that its peripheral surface conforms and is in alignment with the peripheral surface of the cover portion by means such as a shaft or screw which is received within the closure cap. The closure cap is dimensioned with respect to the opening within the cover portion of the heating element to provide a space for passage of the electrical wiring cable therethrough. In this manner the cable can contact an electric source so that it can transmit electric energy to the interior of the heating element where the electrical energy can be converted into heat.

The finger grip is constructed, in accordance with this invention, from a unitarily molded non-conductive material such as a relatively rigid plastic and includes a base member and a handle portion adapted to be finger gripped extending upwardly from the outer surface of the base member. The base member is constructed so that a portion of its inner surface is shaped to conform with and thereby engage the peripheral surface of the closure. Furthermore the base member contains an aperture positioned and dimensioned to receive the mounting means of the closure cap for clamping the base member to the closure by the mounting means. Additionally the base member has a through opening which is dimensioned and positioned on the base member for the passage of the electric wiring cable therethrough when the base member is clamped to the closure.

By means of this construction, the mounting means of "the"closure as well as the electric wiring cable of the handle which are received within the base member of the gripping device secure the base member of the finger grip to the closure in a fixed position so that the finger grip will remain fixed to the handle without the danger of the base plate being dislodged from this position upon application of pressure which results from gripping and lifting the handle. Hence, the gripping device of this invention is adapted to be fixedly secured to any conventional heating element of a vaporizer by means of the structure of the heating element without the necessity for providing additional securing or clamping structure to secure the gripping device. Therefore, the gripping device of this invention can be placed and utilized in connectoin with any conventional heating element of a vaporizer. Furthermore, the gripping device of this invention provides effective means for lifting the hot heating element of a vaporizer by means of the fingers without the danger of the fingers contacting the hot heating element so that burning of the skin will occur.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description, in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed:

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting means, finger grip, closure cap and cover portion of the heating element in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the heating element containing the gripping means in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the heating element containing the finger grip with a finger inserted therein for lifting the heating element in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 44 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the basic elements of the gripping device and the electric operated heating element for a vaporizer in accordance with this invention include the cover portion 4 of the electrically operated heating element 3 (see FIG. 3) a closure cap 5 which is inserted within the cover portion 4, the finger grip 6 and the bolt or screw 7. The bolt or screw 7 is of the conventional type having a downwardly tapered head section 41 and a body section 40. The closure cap 5 and the cover portion 4 as well as the bolt 7 which is utilized to unite the closure cap 5 to the cover portion of the heating element 3 as shown in the drawing are of the standard type utilized in accordance with conventional Vaporizers.

The cover portion 4 has a generally arcuate peripheral surface 8 with a portion thereof cut away to provide a recess 10 in which an outlet 12 for the vaporized fluid from the vaporizer and a curved cup-like projection 13 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) are located. The curved cuplike projection 13 is provided so that the desired liquid medicinal to be vaporized can be placed therein. Cover portion 8 also contains an enlarged opening 14 which extends from the peripheral surface 8 downwardly into the interior of the cover portion 4.

The opening 14 contains an elongated body portion 15 having side walls 17 and a neck portion 16, said neck portion providing an outlet through which an electric wiring cable 11 passes for connection to an electric source (not shown). Recessed within the body section 15 below the peripheral surface 8 are a pair of threaded input terminals 18 which are respectively connected to the two wire conductors 19 of the cable 11 by means of threaded clamping nuts 20 which are screwed on to the terminals 18 so that electric current can be passed from the electric source into the heating element. Also recessed within the body section below the peripheral surface 8 and between the imput terminals 18 is a post 26 having a threaded bore 27 which is adapted to receive screw or bolt 7 in threaded engagement so as to secure closure cap within the opening 14. Additionally the side walls 17 of the body section each contain a thickened portion 25 which is recessed below the peripheral surface 8, said portion 25 being adapted to engage and support the lower surface of the closure cap 5 to support the closure cap 5 at a fixed distance within the opening 14.

The closure cap 5 which is a unitarily molded material with a curved peripheral surface 32 and a curved peripheral side wall 33 has an enlarged body portion 30 and a neck portion 36. The body portion 30 of the closure which is adapted to fit into the body portion of the opening 14 has a threaded opening 37 which is positioned on said body portion 30 so as to be in vertical alignment with the threaded bore 27 when the body portion 30 of the closure 5 is placed within the opening 14. The inner wall 39 of the opening 37 is tapered so as to be adapted to engage the downwardly tapered head portion 41 of the threaded bolt 7 when the bolt is fixedly retained within the threaded bore 27 so as to secure the closure cap 5 to the cover portion of the heating element within the opening 14.

The closure cap is designed and dimensioned to snugly fit within opening 14 so that the portion of its peripheral side wall 33 which forms the body portion 30 frictionally abuts side walls 17 of the opening 14. The thickness of the closure cap is designed and dimensioned relative to the distance between the enlarged recessed side wall portions and the upper peripheral surface 32 of the head portion so that when the closure cap 5 is mounted within the opening 14 by means of bolt 7, a portion of its lower surface will be supported by the enlarged side wall portion 25. In this manner the closure cap will be recessed and secured by means of bolt 7 within the opening 14 so that its peripheral surface 32 is in alignment with the peripheral surface 8 of the cover portion 5. Furthermore the closure cap 5 is dimensioned to provide a space 21 (see FIG. 4) between the end edge of the neck portion 16 and the neck portion 36 of the closure cap 5 for passage of the electric wiring cable 11 therethrough when the closure cap is mounted, and secured by bolt 7 within the opening 14 of the cover portion 4.

The finger grip 6, which in accordance with this invention, is a unitarily molded and non-heat conductive material composed of a base plate 51 and a curved handle member 42. The base plate 51 comprises an arcuate portion 43 having two opposite disposed end edges 44 and a bossed portion 46 which extends downwardly from one of the end edges 44 of the arcuate portion 43. The arcuate portion 43 has an inner surface 45 which is shaped to conform with the curvature of the peripheral surface 32 of the closure cap 5. The arcuate portion 43 has an aperture 47 adjacent the other of the end edge portion 44 whose inner wall 49 tapers downwardly to frictionally engage the head portion 41 of the threaded or bolt screw 7 when the bolt is fixedly secured in the bore 27 of opening 14 and when the closure plate 5 is secured and clamped in the opening 14 of cover portion 4 (as shown in FIG. 4). The aperture 47 is positioned on the arcuate portion 43 so that it is in vertical alignment with the opening 37 of the closure plate 5 when the base plate 51 is secured to the peripheral surface of the closure plate 5. Furthermore the aperture 47 is dimensioned to frictionally engage the head portion 41 of the bolt 7 so that the bolt 7 can clamp the base plate 51 to the closure plate 5.

The bossed portion 46 contains an inwardly extending through opening or bore 50 which is opened at three of its edges. AS shown in FIG. 4 bore 50 is positioned on the base plate 51 so that its distance of separation from the aperture 47 is equal to the distance of separation between the opening 37 and the space 21 through which the electric wiring cable 11 passes. In this manner bore 50 is positioned adjacent the space 21 when the base plate 51 is clamped to the closure plate 5 by means of bolt 7 being secured within aperture 47. Furthermore bore 50 is dimensioned so as to receive electrical wiring cable 11 therein. Due to the fact that bore 50 is open at three of its edges, the electric wiring cable which emanates from space 21 can be slipped into and out of engagement with bore 50.

The curved handle portion 42 has one of its side edges 61 connected to the arcuate portion 43 of the base plate 51 and its other end edge 61 connected to the end edge of the downwardly extending bossed portion 46. In this manner a space is defined between the curved handle portion 42, the bossed portion 46 and the arcuate portion 43 for finger insertion, as shown in FIG. 3, to grip the handle 42 without touching the base plate 51 or the closure plate 5 or the cover portion 4 of the heating element. Hence, the finger grip of this invention provides a means whereby the heating element may be gripped and lifted by a finger without the finger contacting the heated portions of the heating element.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show the heating element 3 having its cover portion 4 assembled with the closure plate 5 and the finger grip 6 placed within a vaporizer 60. As shown in FIG. 4 the finger grip 6 and the closure cap 5 are assembled by means of the engagement of the threaded bolt 7 within aperture 47, which connects and secures the closure plate 5 to the cover portion 4 and the engagement with bore 50 of the electric cable 11 which emanates from space 211. Hence by means of the respective engagement of bolt 7 and electric wiring cable 11 within the base plate 51 of the finger grip, the finger grip is secured to the closure plate 5 of the electric heating element in a fixed position without the danger of the finger grip being dislocated from this position by pressure applied to it to lift the handle portion to which it is attached. Furthermore it can be seen that by the construction of the finger grip of this invention, the finger grip can be attached in this manner to the closure cap of a heating element for a vaporizer by the existing means within the closure cap and heating element without the need for providing extraneous connecting elements. Hence the finger grip of this invention can be utilized with any conventional heating element for a vaporizer by simply connecting the finger grip to the heating element by the existing screw or bolt which secures the closure plate to the cover portion of the heating element and by the wiring cable which emanates from the heating element itself. Additionally the construction of this invention allows the finger grip to be easily removed from the heating element by moving the cable 11 out of the bore within this finger grip and loosening the screw which clamps this finger gripping means to the closure plate so that the finger grip can be utilized in connection with another heating element for a vaporizer.

While I have disclosed preferred embodiments of the invention and have indicated various changes, omissions and additions which may be made therein, it will be apparent that various other changes, or omissions and additions may be made in the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: an electrically operated heating element for a vaporizer having a cover portion with an opening on its peripheral surface through which an electric wiring cable is adapted to pass, a closure mounted within said opening and means received within said closure and fixedly mounting said closure on said cover with said closure recessed within said opening with its peripheral surface conforming and in alignment with the peripheral surface of said cover portion, said closure dimensioned relative to said opening to provide a space for passage of said electrical wiring through said opening, the improvement which comprises a finger grip formed entirely from a unitary, molded, non-heat conductive material and having a base plate portion having an outer and inner surface and a handle portion adapted to be finger gripped extending upwardly from said outer surface, a portion of said inner surface conforming with and engaging the peripheral surface of said closure, said base plate portion having an aperture receiving said mounting means of said closure, said mounting means clamping said base plate portion to said closure, and a through opening in said base plate portion adapted to pass said electric wiring cable therethrough.

2. In combination: an electrically operated heating ele ment for a vaporizer having a cover portion with an arcuate peripheral surface having an opening through which an electric wiring cable is adapted to pass, a closure mounted in said cover portion opening, said closure having an opening therethrough and a peripheral surface curved to conform with the peripheral surface of said cover portion and mounted within said cover portion opening, and a threaded bolt received within said closure opening fixedly securing said closure on said cover portion with the closure recessed within said cover portion opening and its peripheral surface conforming and in alignment with the peripheral surface of said cover portion, said closure dimensioned relative to said cover opening to provide a space for passage of said cable through said cover opening the improvement which comprises a finger grip formed from a unitary molded non-heat conductive material and having a curved handle portion and a base plate portion, said base plate portion, having an arcuate portion with two oppositely disposed end edges and an inner surface conforming with and engaging the peripheral surface of said closure and a bossed portion downwardly extending from one of the end edges of said arcuate portion, said arcuate portion having an aperture adjacent the other of its end edges receiving said threaded bolt therethrough, said threaded bolt clamping said base plate portion to said closure with the distance between the aperture and the end edge to which said bossed portion is connected being substantially equal to the distance of separation of said closure opening and the space through which said cable is adapted to pass, said bossed portion having an inwardly extending bore open at three of its edges positioned adjacent said space through which said cable is adapted to pass for passage of said cable therethrough and engagement of said cable thereby, said handle portion being connected at one of its end edges to the upper surface of said arcuate portion and connected at its other end edge to the upper surface of said bossed portion with a space therebetween for finger insertion to grip said handle without touching said base plate portion and said bossed portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,252 10/1941 Lang 17446 2,837,624 6/1958 Katzman et al 29427 X 3,207,837 9/1965 Brezosky 174135 X LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

